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Graduation season is here and high school students will be maneuvering toward college or their careers. Most high school students will exit their 12 years of education without much, if any, knowledge of the ancient world, especially the militaries of the ancient world. There may be a simple method to bridge that educational gap.
Ways of the Game
Osprey Games has recently issued a new board game called “Battalion: War of the Ancients.” It enables two to four players to command the ancient armies of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, the Roman Republic, the Carthaginians, or the Han Dynasty. Choosing any military enables players to learn some of the methods of ancient warfare, the similar and dissimilar tactical maneuvers of these competing empires, as well as the type of units each possessed, such as cavalry, archers, and foot soldiers (and their empire-specific names).
“Battalion” may be a simple method to introduce anyone to the world of ancient warfare, but the game is anything but simple. This isn’t like the “Battleship” game of my youth. It’s much more like “Risk,” but a bit more complex. There are a lot of combat options: 144 rank tiles identify specific military units, such as the Carthaginian Scutarii, the Greco-Bactrian Hoplites, or the Roman Hastati, 72 cards label specific maneuvers that units can make (some specific only to a particular military), and two to four camps are separated by sector markers used to illustrate small-scale or large-scale conflicts. And as with any actual military engagement, there are major risks and, in this case, the literal roll of the dice.
"Battalion" is even more complex than "Risk." Osprey Publishing
What’s most interesting about this game is that it’s about actual strategy and not guesswork. There are only so many opportunities to attack by assault or charge (ground troops) or barrage (archers), retreat, send support troops, or preserve troop strength. There is even a chess aspect: How much are you willing to sacrifice for victory?
Game Design and Rules
The cards and tiles are of high quality with great artwork. I was a little disappointed that there was no board. The rank tiles are placed on whatever flat surface you prefer. It seems to take away from the game itself, especially considering all the artwork that went into everything else, including the rulebook and the box it came in.
The rulebook is 28 pages long. It’s heady work and a lot of memorization. There are four cards available for players that feature reminders. That includes definitions of certain moves, such as harassing, evading, or enveloping the enemy, or bringing order to your troops when they are attacked. It also includes a tally of what it costs to perform these actions. Much like actual warfare, players lose when they run out of resources, represented by command tokens and tactical cards.
A History Lover’s Game
The games are relatively short, lasting about 30 minutes once you get the hang of it. There are so many military unit options—and players can choose only so many—that it allows, unlike, say, chess, for players to play a vast quantity of games with varying or completely different units, even if they choose from the same imperial military.
Ancient warfare history buffs will truly appreciate this game. Those interested in the historical era will learn a great deal about the names of various military units and ranks. There will probably be a great deal of internet research to get a better understanding of the types of troops within these specific militaries.
Despite its complexity, most "Battalion" games last only about 30 minutes, making it a time-effective strategy game. Osprey Publishing
Of course, because it’s Osprey Games, which is a subsidiary of Osprey Publishing, the end of the rulebook offers several reading selections from the publisher’s catalog. Some good options are “The Greek and Persian Wars” by Jack Cassin-Scott, “Armies of the Carthaginian Wars 265-146 BC” by Terence Wise, “Imperial Chinese Armies 200 BC-589 AD” by CJ Peers, and “The Praetorian Guard” by Boris Rankov.
For fans of “Risk” or chess, “Battalion” fits into that tactical and strategic category. The only negative about the game, aside from the lack of a board, is the number of rules and, therefore, the required memorization. Unfortunately, that can become a battle in itself, for high school students and adults alike.
Dustin Bass is the creator and host of the “American Tales” podcast and cofounder of “The Sons of History.” He writes two weekly series for The Epoch Times: Profiles in History and This Week in History. He is also an author.
